Gave the Dwarf Priest thing a try against Demonic Library. That dungeon is just open enough for Earthmother to be tolerable. The leveling went nice and quick, but I quickly found that while having 150 health and 20 DR at level 5 is awesome against the normal monsters, it's useless against the demon lords. I could hit them once... and then what? My damage is just too low and without a repeatable percent based health effect you can't really leverage it like you could with the GG health monster.

I found myself wishing I had Avatar here as a consultant, being our resident expert on the DL.

While Priests are a fine choice through DI, you really can't build a DR strategy for the dungeon. Maybe DR and lifesteal or DR and res, but DR will never be strong enough to stop up the high Demonlord damage alone. Esecially since they give each other death protections.

Also, one general tip for DL. Unless you can kill one of them REALLY early, kill your least favorite first, then the second worst, then middle, etc. It ruins a run to be a Wizard vs a 444 hp with counter fireball and 5 DPs.

Lastly, EM just isn't a good enough god to support you late game in Vicious. You want to convert out to Drac, ideally. Use EM for easy early levels, convert out, take some lifesteal and Sanguine. Then you'll win.

The following is a transcription from Professor Brown's audio recording of his interview with SMASH, an orc from the tribe of SMASH, describing his rites of initiation into the cult of SMASH, the orcish god of SMASH.

When I arrived at the altar of SMASH, god of SMASH, I was carrying the traditional SMASHER, special made by the tribal blacksmith, as well as the SMASH-sword that I got by SMASHING the sacred SMASH-goat, along with lots of SMASH juice to go along with the SMASH-sword.

After paying my respects to SMASH, he rewarded me with a rune of SMASH. I used it to SMASH my way to the secret room of SMASHING, where as my visions foretold, I found another SMASHER to go with my SMASHER. SMASH, god of SMASH, was pleased with my SMASHING and awarded me yet again with the sacred gift of SMASHING. I celebrated the event by drinking much SMASH-juice and then SMASHING with my SMASHER as well as my other SMASHER and also with the gift of SMASHING from SMASH, god of SMASH.

SMASH was pleased with my SMASHING, but warned me that I must remain diligent in my SMASHING or risk his displeasure. Always I must SMASH and SMASH and more SMASHINGSMASHSMASHSMASHSMASHSMASH

(sound of furniture being thrown and panicked cries from Professor Brown)

***

So anyways, this is what you do:

OrcTinkerTransmutation SealTriswordExtra GoldBinlorLess glyphsBearmaceApothecaryFive easily disposable potions, one of which should be a Strength potion

Scum until you get the blacksmith secret dungeon. You have a 25% of finding it, which is tolerable. Use your compression seals to make room. Get the Stone Fist boon right away. Between that and the two bearmaces, you will have 170% knockback, which is nuts. Now amp your base damage.

Buy the most expensive things that you can find and Transmute them. Combined with the less glyphs prep, this will give you insane conversion. You should consider burning one of your seals on the sword that you find in the dungeon, since 25% is a decent conversion bonus and the free 25 gold will go a long way towards buying something nicer later. Swig potions whenever you can to fuel the trisword. Between the Tinker bonus, extra gold, and the 3 transmutation scrolls, you should have plenty of gold to keep it going.

Smash monsters into each other. Smash them into walls. Use PISORF to slide monsters across the field to setup smash combos. Indirectly attack high end monsters by smashing other monsters into them. Smash everything. Smash the world.

It's really only a novelty trick suitable for Normal and maybe some Hard dungeons, but everyone should do this at least once.

Lujo wrote:Use Reflex Potion on fat fu****s to SMASH them through 2 walls at once, for most raw FUN!

Oh yes, I did that. You see, first you SMASH him with your SMASHER and then you SMASH him with your SMASHER and then you SMASH him with the SMASHER from SMASH, god of SMASH except you do all of that twice at once.

SEXTUPLE SMASH!!!!

Also, I 2-shotted a Dragon-9 from level 4, sans Reflex. It was glorious.

I tried Dwarf Paladin of GG on Vhos, their was one problem. I had tons of health even at lvl 5, I just couldn't get past level 5 because I couldn't regen fight effectly since I had to much health. I might need to reconsider just spamming the bonus health thing that GG has.

Wait, sorry, that was my lack of sleep taking, I meet I had troubles regening bewteen fights. also, any tips on Halflings Ho? I only beat Grim Grotto once because of PQI. It is clear if you get lots of preps, you get an impossible map.